"Dang, these two look like zombies!" Sadie teased
"Uhh... we didn't get much sleep last night," Ivy mumbled, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.
Dylan turned to Ivy, his gaze softening. "Wanna walk?"
Ivy's heart skipped a beat, her words stuck in her throat. He looked even more handsome than she remembered.
"What walking? Take me with you," Aria interjected.
Sadie crossed her arms while her eyebrows raised. "Hey! We're all walking! What, just you two?" 
Aria's eyes met Ivy's for a moment, cold and calculating, before she glanced at Dylan and broke into a loving smile, stepping closer to him. 
"Dylan, let's walk together," she insisted.
But Dylan seemed oblivious, his focus remaining on the path ahead as the group began to move.
Sadie chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh boy, we're in trouble... I think he likes Ivy. Love triangle?"
"N-No way! You're just making things up!" Aria's face flushed with anger as she sped up, leaving them behind.
"Are you coming, brother?" Ivy asked, noticing he hadn't followed.
He simply shook his head, a silent refusal that left Ivy with a something of emotions she couldn't quite decipher.
After they had walked some distance, Ivy noticed something was off. She spun around, eyes scanning the path behind them.
"Wait, where's Lila?"
"Huh? I thought she was right behind you," Aria responded, looking around.
Dylan shrugged, kicking a loose pebble. "Maybe she didn't want to come."
Sadie turned to Ivy, her eyes filled with concern. "Wait, are you going back?"
Ivy let out a long sigh. "Maybe she went back to sleep. You guys go on ahead. I didn’t sleep well last night, so I might just sleep again."
The trio exchanged glances, then smiled and continued on their way, leaving Ivy to retrace her steps. As she approached the campsite, faint voices drifted through the trees. She recognized her brother Ethan’s voice, along with Lila’s.
Ivy ducked behind a large tree and crouched in the bushes, ignoring the itchiness from the leaves brushing against her skin.
"Why didn’t you join them for the walk?" Ethan asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
"I did it on purpose," Lila replied smoothly.
Ivy’s breath caught in her throat. They are hiding something from her.
"Are you going to tell Ivy?" Lila’s voice had a hard edge.
"Why do you care? Ivy is all I have left. Are you planning to take her away too?"
Ivy could almost see Lila’s smirk. "Fool, she'll find out everything eventually. She’s not stupid."
"And who’s the stupid one here? You? The one who purposely didn’t study for three years just to be in the same class as Ivy and befriend her? Do you think I didn’t know?" Ethan’s voice was icy.
"I want to protect her," Lila said, her calm tone contrasting sharply with Ethan’s anger.
"I can do that," Ethan shot back, his voice trembling with intensity.
Ivy's foot itched, and when she looked down, she saw a line of ants marching over her sneaker. She bit her lip and ignored the tickling sensation, straining to hear every word.
Lila chuckled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not all the time, Ethan."
"Really? What will happen when Ivy finds out about you?"
"I’ll tell her eventually, just give me time," Lila replied, her calm demeanor unwavering.
"That’s my point, Lila. I’ll also tell her everything. Just give me time. You already took them from us. I won’t let you take her from me too."
"I didn’t want that."
Ivy’s mind spun with confusion and questions, each word from their conversation adding to the storm brewing inside her.
The ants were relentless, and Ivy couldn’t ignore them any longer. She shifted to another tree, but in her haste, a twig snapped underfoot. Ethan’s head jerked up at the sound.
"Ivy... have you been here long?" His eyes bore into hers, colder than she’d ever seen.
"N-No, I just got here. Uh... I was just going to pee here, did you notice?" she stammered, scrambling for an excuse.
Ethan’s gaze softened slightly as he turned away. "Go ahead, but come back to the campsite right away. It's dangerous to be alone, and you might get into trouble again."
"O-Okay."
He walked back to the campsite, leaving Ivy standing there, heart pounding. She pretended to pee, even though questions clawed at her mind. It was the first time she had seen Ethan’s cold and serious expression, and it unsettled her deeply.
She had many questions, especially for Lila, but trust was still a fragile thread between them.
"Annoying ants, now my feet are itchy," Ivy murmured, trying to shake off the persistent ants.
"Done peeing? I have some cream over there, come and let’s put it on," Lila said from behind her.
"Oh shi—" Ivy slapped her hand over her mouth, barely stopping herself from cursing out loud.
Lila chuckled, amused by her reaction.
"A-Always ready and prepared, huh?" Ivy laughed awkwardly, trying to play it cool.
They sat by the side of the campsite while Ethan stood a distance away, his eyes never leaving them. Lila fetched some cream and gently applied it to Ivy's itchy feet. The gesture made Ivy think of her mother, who used to do the same for her, and a wave of sadness washed over her.
Noticing the shift in Ivy’s expression, Lila spoke up. "Ivy, I know a great spot by the river here. It’s safe, and the current isn’t too strong. Do you want to invite the others later?" she asked excitedly.
"How do you know the places around here? Unless, you’ve been here before," Ivy said, her tone suddenly more serious.
Lila's surprise was obvious, her usually confident demeanor faltering for a moment.
Ivy quickly chuckled awkwardly to break the tension. "Just kidding. Of course, I would love that."
"Love? But you don’t even know how to swim," Ethan interrupted, a smirk playing on his lips.
Ivy rolled her eyes, exasperated. "What? Are you going to watch over me like a bodyguard 24/7?"
"Why not? Isn’t that right?" he teased, his smirk widening.